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By
Carol
Sanders
Winnipeg
Free
Press
Tuesday,
Dec
17,
2002
The
gloves
are
off
in
a
fight
to
save
one
of
the
last
stands
of
pristine
forest
along
the
Seine
River
being
eyed
for
a
bridge
to
a
new
housing
development.
The
group
called
Save
Our
Seine
River
Environment
Inc.
(SOS)
has
accused
Grandin
Developments
Inc.
of
launching
a
"smear
campaign"
against
the
non-profit
group
that's
trying
to
save
the
forest
and
stop
a
proposed
bridge
at
Southglen
Boulevard.
"It's
a
tragedy
because
a
smear
campaign
has
derailed
our
efforts
of
fund-raising,"
said
Jules
Legal,
spokesman
for
SOS.
His
group
has
been
trying
to
raise
money
to
help
the
city
buy
the
affected
land
from
the
developer,
a
joint
venture
involving
Ladco
Company
Ltd.
and
the
province.
It
plans
to
build
760
homes
in
Phase
2
of
Royalwood.
Tonight,
the
two
sides
will
come
face
to
face
at
a
Riel
Community
Committee
public
meeting
to
discuss
the
development
and
bridge
proposal.
Ladco
president
Alan
Borger
has
said
if
the
city
doesn't
approve
the
company's
planned
bridge
at
Southglen,
the
development
will
be
put
on
hold.
SOS
has
said
it
doesn't
oppose
the
development,
just
the
bridge.
Its
construction
will
require
the
river
to
be
rechannelled,
permanently
changing
the
nature
of
the
Grade-A
forest
in
the
area
and
harming
the
river
ecosystem,
said
Legal.
Borger
is
using
a
2001
concept
plan
prepared
for
SOS
and
Riel
Development
Corp.
to
attack
the
environmental
group,
said
Legal.
The
Gaboury
Prefontaine
Perry
architects'
Bois
des
Esprits
Park
Plan
talks
about
making
the
river
more
accessible
and
the
possible
economic
spin-offs.
A
copy
of
the
plan
was
presented
to
the
company
for
comment
in
March
2001,
but
Grandin
Developments
didn't
respond
--until
last
month,
said
Legal.
It
sent
letters
to
people
in
the
area
warning
that
the
SOS/Riel
plan
calls
for
asphalt
walkways,
an
inn
and
facilities
to
attract
120,000
visitors
to
the
area.
Legal
said
the
proposal
was
more
of
a
discussion
paper
or
concept
plan
and
that
SOS
is
not
in
favour
of
developing
the
area's
tourism
potential.
It
only
wants
to
save
the
trees.
"At
no
time
did
we
ever
suggest
any
kind
of
commercial
development
within
the
forest,"
said
Jules
Legal.
"These
commercial
spin-offs
have
nothing
to
do
with
forest."
Borger
accused
the
group
of
trying
to
distance
itself
from
the
report.
"When
exactly
did
they
abandon
this
report?"
he
asked.
"I
will
stick
by
my
comments,
especially
in
light
of
the
fact
that
its
executive
summary
still
appears
on
their
(SOS's)
Web
site."
Legal
said
Borger's
contention
earlier
that
SOS's
park
plan
may
be
worse
than
the
traffic
bridge
is
outrageous.
The
developer
has
applied
to
the
Department
of
Fisheries
and
Oceans
to
"re-channel"
the
river
to
accommodate
the
bridge.
Borger
admitted
bridge
construction
will
require
the
rechannelling
of
the
Seine
because
the
riverbank
at
Southglen
is
failing
and
its
close
proximity
to
St.
Anne's
Road.
The
city
has
offered
$1
million
to
buy
the
land
owned
by
the
developer
and
promised
to
match
any
funds
raised
by
SOS
up
to
$600,000
to
purchase
the
land.
So
far
the
group
has
raised
less
than
$70,000.
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